Electric device



May 3, 1938.

E. C. SMALLY ELECTRIC DEVICE Fil ed Jan. 21, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Eliza/11x21 K1571141 1 E. C. SMALLY ELECTRIC DEVICE May 3, 1938.

Filed Jan. 21, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I 1 E-Win 3mm Flamin /63111011 1 W? Fly 9 '50 sheet metal support;

a itec f e 3 i938 v 1 PA O FwE ELECTRIC DEVICE .3 LEmanuelC. Smally, Canton, Ohio v Application January 21, 1937,; ser al .Nc,f121,5'21 i 9 carat, (oi. 40-130) 7 The-invention relates to electric devices and In re particularly to a sign or display device uti- -lizing electric lamps or lighting units.

. The object of the invention is to provide a de 5 .vice comprising a sheet metal support having openingsthe'rein to receive the lamps or lighting units and means for attaching the lamps to the --support, the usual sockets for the lamps being dispensed with.

6 Another object is to providea novel clamping collar for attachment to the base of each lamp for clamping the lamp within an opening of the support wall.

='A further'object is to provide a device of the character-referred to in which each lamp is provided with a reflector and lens. I

Av still further object of the improvement is to provide ,means for supporting the lamps within openings in the sheet-metal support and means for electrically connecting the usual circuit wires P directly to the bases of the lamps or lighting units.

The above objects, together with others which may be apparent from thedrawings and following description, or which may be later pointed jou't, maybe attained by constructing the improved electricsignin the manner illustrated in Jthe accompanying drawings, 'in'which,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a sign embody-' ing the invention; r

Fig. 2, a sectionon the line-2--2, Fig. 1;

Fig.3, an enlarged section on the line 3-3, l; Fig. 4, a detail sectional view of a slightly modified form of the invention;

5 Fig. a large scale section showing a lamp without a reflector; 'Fig. 6, a perspective view of the insulation washer for attachment of the contact clips to the base;

. 40 Fig. '7, anenlarged section through a modified,

simple form ofthe invention in which the insulation clamping collar itself is locked within a .bayonet opening-inthe sheet metal supporting member;

Fig. 8,- a view similar to Fig. 7, showing the form of insulation clamping collar illustrated in Fig. '7, and provided with electrical contacts for the lamp or lighting unit, whereby the lamp may be removed and replaced from thefront side of the Fig. 9, a fragmentary rear elevation of a portion of a sign or display device as illustrated in Fig. 8; and

Fig. .10, a fragmentarydetail section, taken as r on the line lllll l, Fig. 9,.showing one means for v movement in the sheet metal support.

similar parts for outside use as a sign, the entire sign, or each unit thereof,'as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, may be made in the form of a box to protect the electrical connections from the weather. This-may be accomplished by providing top and bottom walls I 2, and side walls l3, connected to the edge portions of the front or support wall l0, and a-- back wall I4, preferably removable so as to permit access to the electrical connections in order to make repairs or replacements.

As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, each incandescent bulb maybe provided with a reflector and a lens, forming a unit'of the general character disclosed in my prior patent Reissue No. 18,974 of October 24, 1933.

In this form of the invention a standard base I5 is provided with a socket to receive a small lamp bulb l6,said socket being lined by a sheet metal socket shell ll, electrically connected to the sheet metal base shell I8, which may be screw threaded in the manner of standard lamp bases.

A reflector I9 is carried by the base I5 and has a lens 20 connected to its peripheral portion. These lenses may, be of clear glass or of any desired color to carry out various color schemes in the construction of electric signs in which they are used.

A rivet 2| or the like may be located through the rear end of the base shell 3, and insulated therefrom, for providing a contact for the rear end of the base 22 of the small lamp bulb l6, while the otherv contact is through the side of the small base to the socket shell I! and then to the standard base shell l8.

In assembling the sign one ofthe lamp units above described may be located through each opening ll of the support III, as shown in the drawings, and a' clamping collar 23, formed of bakelite or other suitable insulation or insulated material is then placed in position to clamp the lamp unit in place.

This clamping collar may be of conical form and provided with the internal screw threads M at its reduced end for engagement upon the threaded base shell I8, and provided at its larger end with the rim portion 25 for contact with the inner surface of the support wall III, to draw the lamp unit tightly through the aperture II and hold the rim portion 26 thereof tightly against the front surface of the wall In. Lugs 26' may be formed upon the collar 23 to assist in turning invention in which all parts may be as above dethe same.

Electric connections to the lamps may be made by soldering the circuit wire to the rivet 2| and base shell l8 of each unit in usual and well known manner, or if desired, spring clips 21 and 28 may be electrically connected to the rivet2l and base shell l8 respectively.

This attachment may be made through an insulation washer 29 having a squared portion 30 fitting through a squared opening 3| in the end of the shell I8. The washer 29 has oppositely disposed recesses 32 and 32' on opposite sides to receive the end portions of the clips 21 and 28 respectively, Thus when the rivet 2| is located through the washer 29, clips 21 and 28 and inside washer 33, the clips are rigidly held against movement relative to each other and to the base, thereby preventing any possibility of short circuit by contact of the clips with each other.

The circuit wires 34 and 35 may be attached to the clips 21 and 28 respectively in usual and well known manner. Where the sign is designed for outdoor use the wires may be soldered to the clips as indicated at 36. For convenience, a drop of solder, as indicated at 36, may be placed upon each clip before the unit is sent out into the field for use, thus requiring only the touch of a hot soldering iron to form the soldered joint after the wire is attached to the clip. In the same manner a drop of solder may be placed upon the rivet and shell of each unit when it is desired to solder the wires directly thereto as above described.

In Fig. 4 is shown a slight modification of the scribed except that the clip 28a is attached to the insulation collar 23a as by a binding screw 31 which makes contact with the base shell l8.

The invention in a simple form is illustrated in Y Fig. 5, in which an ordinary lamp bulb l6 may be located through each opening II in the support wall ID, a ring 38, of soft rubber or the like, being located around the bulb to protect the same from breakage by pressure against the edges of the opening I I. The insulation collar 23' is screwed upon the base shell I 8 of the lamp bulb and draws the bulb tightly into the opening II, in the manner above described. The wires '34 and 35' may be connected to the shell l8 and the rivet 2| as by dropsof solder 36, or if desired: clips such as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 may be connected to the lamp base for the attachment of the circuit wires.

In Figs. '7 to 10 inclusive is shown a slightly different form of the invention in which the insulation collar 23b is adapted to be locked within the opening llb of the sheet metal support lob as by a bayonet lock.

This may be accomplished by providing a diametrically opposite pair of notches 40, in the opening lib of the sheet metal support, to receive the diametricallyopposed lugs 26' upon the collar 23b, which may be inserted from the front side of the support and then given a partial turn to bring said lugs out of register with the notches, as shown in Fig. 9.

For the purpose of locking the collar in this position, a screw ll. may be located through a. suitable aperture 42 in the flange 25b of the collar and into a tapped bore 43 in the sheet metal support.

The collar is thus held locked in position upon the sheet metal support, the lugs 26' and flange 25b of the collar being spaced sufliciently, as shown in the drawings, to receive the edge portion of said sheet metal support surrounding the opening llb therein.

The circuit wires 34b and 35b, as shown in Fig. '7, may be attached to the base of the lamp, or lighting unit, in the same manner as is shown and described with reference to Fig. 5; or if desired, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the electrical connections may be carried in the collar itself so that the lamp or lighting unit may be removed and replaced entirely from the front of the support lob.

In this case spring clamps 21b and 28b, or other suitable and well known forms of electrical contacts may be carried in the insulation collar and adapted to make contact respectively with the side and end of the base of the lamp or lighting unit.

Although an incandescent lamp lGb is shown in Figs. 7 and 8, it should be understood that the lighting unit, such as shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, may be mounted in the collar 23b without in any manner departing from the invention.

It is further pointed out that although the drawings illustrate the insulation clamping collar in the diflerent views, as adapted to receive a screw threaded base of a lamp or lighting unit, it is not the intention to limit the invention to such a screw threaded structure, as the collar may be as readily adapted for use with any other common and well known form of base, without limiting the invention within the scope of the appended claims.

From the above it will be seen that a very simple and inexpensive electric display or sign is provided, eliminating the usual sockets, thus materially reducing the cost of production and installation of the device.

I claim:

1. An electric device of the character described including a support wall having an opening therein, an electric lighting unit having a maximum diameter greater than said opening and provided with a base, a member screw-threaded at its inner end portion secured to said base flaring outwardly from the base with its terminal portion bearing against the rear surface of said support wall and coacting with the lighting unit engaging the outside edge of the opening for holding said lighting unit tightly within said opening, and means for electrically connecting circuit wires to the base. 1

2. An electric device of the character described including a support wall having an opening therein, an electric lighting unit having a maximum diameter greater than said opening and provided with a base, a screw-threaded collar secured to the base outwardly flaring from the base and its threaded portion to its outer terminal portion, said terminal portion bearing against the inner face of said support wall and coacting with the lighting unit in contact with the outside edge of the opening. for holding said lighting unit tightly within said opening, and means for electrically connecting circuit wires to the base independently of said collar.

3. An electric device including a support wall having an opening therein, an electric lamp having a-reflector of greater maximum diameter than said opening and having a base, means for holding said reflector tightly within said opening, and means for electrically connecting circuit wires to said base.

4. An electric device including a support wall having an opening therein, an electric lamp having a reflector of greater maximum diameter than said opening and having a base, means upon said base and bearing against the rear surface of said support wall for holding said reflector tightly within said opening, and means for electrically connecting circuit wires to said base.

5. An electric device including a support wall having an opening therein, an electric lamp having a reflector of greater maximum diameter than said opening and having a base, an insulation collar upon said base and bearing against the rear surface of said support wall for holding said reflector tightly within said opening, and means for electrically connecting circuit wires to said base.

6. An electric device having a base, an outer tions and having shoulders on opposite sides for contact with-said electrical connections to prevent 7 relative movement of the electrical connections,

and means upon the washer for preventing movement of the washer relative to the base.

8. An electric device including a wall having an opening therein, an electric lamp having a reflector provided with an annular rim of greater diameter than said opening and having a base, and means engaging said base for holding said reflector within said opening with the rim thereof surrounding the opening on the front side of said wall. i

9. An electric device including a wall having an opening therein, an electric lamp having a reflector of maximum diameter at least as large as said opening, and having a base, and means engaging said base for holding said reflector within said opening with the largest portion of said reflector substantially flush with said wall.

EMANUEL C. SMAILY. 

